220 swift!The cartridge that time left behind!

6.5shooter

Well-Known Member
Following on from my foxing rifle thread I thought id start a new thread to find other people who have a love affair for the good old swift just like me!
People seriously underestimate the potential accuracy of this calibre and ease of load tuning and inherint accuracy etc.
Im on my second swift and just getting it pieced together for more foxing and crow bashing.
This cartridge has been ruined by bad press and if you want the ultimate off the shelf .22 cal for foxing this is it.
Anyone care to share any load data for different bullet weights and maybe pics of their swifts?
42 grains of n160 behind a 60 vmax is one little bullet hole in my last barrel!
Please no calibre wars saying such and such a calibre is better blady bla!
This is for die hard swift fans only!! :)

Garry
 
Hi Garry,

It's like going to an AA meeting. :D

My name is Steve and I am a proud owner of a 220 Swift.
I'm also on my second barrel, but this time round I went with the ackley improved version, I load 48g of N160 behind a 52g Barts bullet out of a Kreiger 26" barrel, and absolutely love it.
I'm addicted.....

Regards
Steve
 
Hi Garry,

It's like going to an AA meeting. :D

My name is Steve and I am a proud owner
of a 220 Swift.
I'm also on my second barrel, but this time round I went with the ackley improved version, I load 48g of N160 behind a 52g Barts bullet out of a Kreiger 26" barrel, and absolutely love it.
I'm addicted.....

Regards
Steve




Hi Steve!
I knew it! Im not the only one with a love affair with the swift!
I was beginning to worry about myself mind you! But now I feel normal :)

I am using norma brass and federal gm primers.
I want to work up a load for the 52's in the new border I have just had screwed onto my rpa.
I bet those 52's in ur ackley dont go ay much less than 4000fps?
I was getting 3600 in my last barrel with the 60's, never tried anyother bullet and they were so dam accurate I just left as it was. I feel a need for more speed now though! :)
 
I'm also on my second barrel, but this time round I went with the ackley improved version

Steve

Wow..... a 220 AI must have minimum Mach IV performance :(

I don't have a Swift but it's an interesting cartridge, and every bit as good as the .22-250. I think in truth it's much aligned as a barrel-burner. A lot of .220SW's have been around for many many years so re-barrelling a rifle of that vintage should be expected.
 
Another .220 swift fan here :D, not had my one that long, but im loving it, semi custom jobby, based on a remmy 700, border barrel, choate sniper stock,

im loading to the data that i had with the rifle, 50g vmax, 37.8g accurate 2520, winchester cases, federal gm primers, just the job, it shoots alot more accurate than i can:)

Andrew
 
looking at the velocities that can be attained with the 22-250 and 220 swift, it's no wonder it's a popular foxing round(s) with 40-50g bullets! very little bullet drop to 300!!! mind, powder hungry in comparison to .223 of course.
 
Another .220 swift fan here :D, not had my one that long, but im loving it, semi custom jobby, based on a remmy 700, border barrel, choate sniper stock,

im loading to the data that i had with the rifle, 50g vmax, 37.8g accurate 2520, winchester cases, federal gm primers, just the job, it shoots alot more accurate than i can:)


Andrew




What sort of velocity are you getting with this load Andrew?
 
looking at the velocities that can be attained with the 22-250 and 220 swift, it's no wonder it's a popular foxing round(s) with 40-50g bullets! very little bullet drop to 300!!! mind, powder hungry in comparison to .223 of course.



It is a powder guzzler but a very accurate one at that!
I still use my 223 as a jeep rifle cus its got a short barrel but when im out on the quad or on foot the swift comes out to play! :)
Depends on the area thats being lamped aswell. When im in small fields or around chicken hoises my 223 is ideal but alot of my ground is wide open hilly fields.
 
Interesting isn't it. You ask a general question as in your other thread and people will talk all day, sometimes very forthright, about BC's, penetration etc etc of their favorite vermin rifle, look at over a hundred posts!!! But ask specifically about a 220 swift and you realize there aren't many of us, mainly, I am sure, because they don't know what they are missing. I think that the Swift is at its best with lighter bullets, up to 50 gns, when its performance just cannot be matched by any other commercial round, and when you reload they are some thing else again. My favorite load at the moment is 43.5 gns Varget and 40 gn Nosler BT. Cronographed at 4475 fps ( interestingly the 40gn Vmax with the same load is 100 fps slower ). From a 100 yd zero come up 6 clicks for 300 yds, that is flat! Of course they don't like the wind but what light bullet does. All in all a fantastic round.
 
The reason you are getting so little interest in the Swift is that the rest of us all found it far too slow and have all moved onto the 5.6x57.

Seriously, there is a custom rifle builder down here who is shooting a 338 Lapua Magnum necked down to .224! He is exploring the boundary between ballistics and special relativity.
 
The reason you are getting so little interest in the Swift is that the rest of us all found it far too slow and have all moved onto the 5.6x57.

Seriously, there is a custom rifle builder down here who is shooting a 338 Lapua Magnum necked down to .224! He is exploring the boundary between ballistics and special relativity.

im quite happy being behind times, an still enjoying the old .220 swift:lol:
 
Interesting isn't it. You ask a general question as in your other thread and people will talk all day, sometimes very forthright, about BC's, penetration etc etc of their favorite vermin rifle, look at over a hundred posts!!! But ask specifically about a 220 swift and you realize there aren't many of us, mainly, I am sure, because they don't know what they are missing. I think that the Swift is at its best with lighter bullets, up to 50 gns, when its performance just cannot be matched by any other commercial round, and when you reload they are some thing else again. My favorite load at the moment is 43.5 gns Varget and 40 gn Nosler BT.
Cronographed at 4475 fps ( interestingly the 40gn Vmax with the same load is 100 fps slower ). From a 100 yd zero come up 6 clicks for 300 yds, that is flat! Of course they don't like the wind but what light bullet does. All in all a fantastic round.

Jesus wept.........your barrel with be like a shotgun bore in ten shots.:lol:
 
The reason you are getting so little interest in the Swift is that the rest of us all found it far too slow and have all moved onto the 5.6x57.

Seriously, there is a custom rifle builder down here who is shooting a 338 Lapua Magnum necked down to .224! He is exploring the boundary between ballistics and special relativity.



Waow!
Im happy with the off the shelf norma brass and ease of loading but that must be a beast:)
Fair play to him! But alot of work necking from 338 down to 22!
 
Interesting isn't it. You ask a general question as in your other thread and people will talk all day, sometimes very forthright, about BC's, penetration etc etc of their favorite vermin rifle, look at over a hundred posts!!! But ask specifically about a 220 swift and you realize there aren't many of us, mainly, I am sure
, because they don't know what they are missing. I think that the Swift is at its best with lighter bullets, up to 50 gns, when its performance just cannot be matched by any other commercial round, and when you reload they are some thing else again. My favorite load at the moment is 43.5 gns Varget and 40 gn Nosler BT. Cronographed at 4475 fps ( interestingly the 40gn Vmax with the same load is 100 fps slower ). From a 100 yd zero come up 6
clicks for 300 yds, that is flat! Of course they don't like the wind but what light bullet does. All in all a fantastic round.




Jeffrey you hit the nail on the head!
Alot of people underestimate the swift and its accuracy by listening to bad press!
Its a golden oldie and im on a mission to resurrect it from extinction! :)
That load is fast!!
Im going to order some 52's and see if I can get them up near 4000 with accuracy..
 
Jeffrey you hit the nail on the head!
Alot of people underestimate the swift and its accuracy by listening to bad press!
Its a golden oldie and im on a mission to resurrect it from extinction! :)
That load is fast!!
Im going to order some 52's and see if I can get them up near 4000 with accuracy..

what twist your your swift ? if its a 12 twist or faster go for thr 53 grain vmax.
 
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what twist your your swift ? if its a 12 teist or faster go for thr 53 grain vmax.


Its a 1 in 12 border 26" long.
I might have a dabble with them and see what happens although im a bit jubious towards the bc, not sure wether its a true reading or just a sales gimmic.
Anyone have any experience with using these?
 
Jeffrey you hit the nail on the head!
Alot of people underestimate the swift and its accuracy by listening to bad press!
Its a golden oldie and im on a mission to resurrect it from extinction! :)
That load is fast!!
Im going to order some 52's and see if I can get them up near 4000 with accuracy..

My last Swift liked the Sierra 52 gn HPBT Match, 39.5 gns 4064. I did not have access to a chrono then, but they were very accurate.
Brenneke, you are quite right about the 5.6x57 but it was designed as a deer cartridge with 70 gn bullets, very fast with the lighter stuff I agree. Speed thrills, accuracy kills. Get a Swift and have it all!!
 
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